Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-02-17

:
Or vltuperation, but of such express
sions as these: "You are an inter-
lection" "a noun," ''a proposition"
an adverb, "a conjunction" Great
Was there ever before
heard or seen such tremendous pow
err Tue poor woman, thoroughly
routed, sank into her seat sobbing
as if her heart would break and
philosopher Ben. and his companion
trimphantly marched by mere firmly
than ever with the power
of big words, even when not under
stood. "Sumptuary!" ''Sumptuary
laws But let us sit down, dear
reader, to consult the authorities as
to what this big word means. For
tunately we have better access to
big books than did our friend, the
old London fish woman. We are
forced to examine this word because
the Democratic party announced in
its platform in 1854, that it was OPP
posed to sumptuary legislation. True,
the platform did not explain that by
"sumptuary legislation the party
meant anti-liquor traffic legislation,
but their speakers did. Now, it is
it Is true that sumptuary laws do de-
prive the individual citizen of his ma
tural rights, and are therefore uncon-
stitutional, but 1t is false that laws
prohibiting the liquor traffic are
sumptuary. This is just the point
upon which the people need light.
What then is the meaning of ''sump-
tuary," and what is "sumptuary leg
islation?" Sumptuary is from the
Latin .Sumptus, expense, cost and
such legislation refers to and controls
and regulates matters of expense,
and expense alone. The moment
you add another thought than that of
expense, the legislation ceases to be
sumptuary. Turning to Johnson's
Cyclopedia we read, ''Sumptuary
laws are laws to restrict the expenses
of citizens within defined limits.
They have respect to certain articles
of consumption and to the general
style of living. Such laws involve
always an abridgment of individual
liberty and of the natural right OF
everv man to do what he will with
his own, provided he works no wrong
or i'll to his neighbor. They involve
the assumption that government, in
the exercise of its paternal authority
over its subject, can judge better
than themselves what will best sub.
serve their welfare in the use of wha
they have. The wasteful extrav
agance apparent IN every community
seems to call for the interposition o.
government to curb the lavish out
lay for dress, diet, equipage, etc
| Hence, such laws are found on tht
statute books of almost all nations.
Same instances are cited as follows
can old Greek law from the fiftl
century forbade women to appear il
the streets attended by more thar
one slave, unless they were drunk
and in the days of the Roman repub
/ lie one law after the other was issuet
Regulating the cost of entertain
ments." Again, ''The Parliament 0
Scotland undertook to regulate th
dress Of ladies in order to save th
purses Of their husbands. Scotcl
ladies were forbidden to go t
church with the face mufiied in
veil, ard in Denmark law from th
latter part of the eighteenth centur
forbade servant girls TO have thei
hair .curled." Notice: The Roma
sumptuary law cited did not objee
to woman appearing on the stres
drunk, for had it done so it woul
have ceased to be a sumptuary Law
' but it did object to The expense {
being attended by more than or
5 servant, unless she was in this cond
\ ton. But hear the closing words {
the Authority quoted, the autht
having before him all of the prohih
: tory legislation against the liqu'
5 traffic: "A better understanding ,
= the true functions of governmel
e have led to the abandonment,
+ modern times, Of all sumptuary law
n so called. Same laws for the regul
y ton of public morals are demsnd'
for the general good. The publ
e liberty in this light may require son
, limitation Iof personal rights. f
8 this end it is both legitimate and wi
l. TO restrict the sale and the use
y articles which cause disease, paupe
e ism and anisery, and SO increase t
burdens of the whole community
ie We do not object TO the liqu
i trafiie merely on occount of its emf
% nous expense, though it is proper
ID speak of the extravagance 1t entai
but because it is the cause OF fo1